Olympic fever is spreading around Heathdale Christian College as alumnus Thomas Hodges sets to grace the stage in Paris.
Hodges, 30, graduated from the school in 2012 and will represent Australia in men’s beach volleyball.
His volleyball journey started in year 7 as part of Heathdale’s school program.
Johnny Williams, who was Hodges’s first coach at Heathdale, recalled an early example of his potential.
“Something I remember well is that from the beginning, Thomas was a natural blocker.”, he said.
“I remember playing against an older boys’ team who had some big hitters, but they could just not get past him, his reach was just too good!”
Janet Steane was one of the spearheads for Heathdale’s volleyball program and witnessed Hodge’s evolution into a consummate professional .
While still in year 12, Hodges was selected into the Victorian State League Men’s Honours division with his club Renegades.
Since graduating, Hodges has played at college level in the US, played in Europe, earned 81 caps for Australia’s indoor volleyball side and completed an engineering degree.
His legacy at Heathdale endures, with the Thomas Hodges Award named in his honour.
His Olympic campaign kicked off Tuesday night.
Jaidyn Kennedy
